Thiru-Nel-Veli

This is the scene we used to witness from the train windows as it was chugging along the rails either towards Madras or from Madras.
Great grandfathers,
Thatha Seval (a village) Ramayyangaar and Thatha Thirumalai of Thirukkurungudi must have loved their lands too.I recall my paatti telling me that thatha used to get up early in the morning have kanji( boiled rice) and karuveppilai thogayal and go to work in the fields. And return only in noon time for lunch. and their lunch would be a simple affair of rice,kuzhambu and some keerai.potatoe was not a known item and was not welcome too.
Likewise onions, drumstick and someother variety of food was not in the aakaara niyamam. That is a way of those days. the culture was followed everywhere and they lived healthy and long lives too.and
both pattis were very hardworking as was the case of most women of those days. A regular village life started early in the morning with cleaning the house and drawing water from the well.
Filling water for cooking,bathing and washing.Children took care of their own needs, elder ones took care of younger ones.
The boys went to school and the girls stayed home assisting their mothers. The girls were taught just the Tamil alphabates so they can read and write and do math too. Think that was enough to run the house and manage the needs of "paal kanakku "and settling provision stores account . They led a contented life. Never were taught to expect more than what they can afford.
I remember Paatti --my mother telling that she had to go walk atleast a mile to bring drinking water of just one kudam(pot) . That was in Kayathaaru (yes, the place mentioned in the history of Veera paandiya Kattabomman)where Thatha was posted .That was their first year of marriage. then they shifted to Srivilliputhur where water was equally hard to get,but we had our own well. To Paatti that must have been a big improvement.!